Don & I were having a conversation with my brother Steev Richter, and he was lamenting the fact that our generation hadn't really done much or wasn't known for something. Like the baby boomers, or gen-Xers, etc. I was thinking about this and feeling like we must have done or be doing something and if not, then we need to.
As I thought more on this, I started to think about the fight against AIDS and how in the last 20 years there's been a dramatic shift from AIDS being a taboo subject to one that's discussed openly. In the last 10 years, more medicines have been developed and placed on the market and more support organizations begun to remove the idea of AIDS being a death sentence and instead calling it for what it is - a beatable adversary. In the last 5 years we've seen the use of antiretrovirals and how they can help an HIV-positive pregnant woman have a better chance of not passing the virus on to her unborn child.
Now in the last year, President Bush created the President's Emergency Response for AIDS Relief. This has pushed AIDS initiatives to the forefront of the American consciousness and will send money to countries in Africa and elsewhere for the global fight against AIDS. Even Gap has gotten in to the fight by partnering with Bono and the The Global Fund to create Product(RED) - clothing apparel with a higher purpose (gap.com/RED). Half of the profits of every Product(RED) purchase goes toward the Global Fund.
As I thought more on this, I started to think about the fight against AIDS and how in the last 20 years there's been a dramatic shift from AIDS being a taboo subject to one that's discussed openly. In the last 10 years, more medicines have been developed and placed on the market and more support organizations begun to remove the idea of AIDS being a death sentence and instead calling it for what it is - a beatable adversary. In the last 5 years we've seen the use of antiretrovirals and how they can help an HIV-positive pregnant woman have a better chance of not passing the virus on to her unborn child.
Now in the last year, President Bush created the President's Emergency Response for AIDS Relief. This has pushed AIDS initiatives to the forefront of the American consciousness and will send money to countries in Africa and elsewhere for the global fight against AIDS. Even Gap has gotten in to the fight by partnering with Bono and the The Global Fund to create Product(RED) - clothing apparel with a higher purpose (gap.com/RED). Half of the profits of every Product(RED) purchase goes toward the Global Fund.
This is a great beginning I think, and I believe our generation has been a big part of the AIDS fight. World AIDS Day was December 1, but I think that every day we can be doing something to help - buying products that support the people, contributing time and energy, being educated about the matter, writing to your local congressperson/representative, and especially praying for the people living through the AIDS pandemic. It's the doing that matters now, then we'll be known for it later.
3 comments:
This was written December 1st but it just showed up on your website for the first time today!! How weird???
http://www.redcampaign.org/
That's the link to the red campaign site. Lots of good stuff to look at and think about and act on.
http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/
Also, we gotta be thinking about how to get active in beating back poverty.
Rob, I'm totally jiving with you. I actually just sent a letter to my congressperson, representative, and the president so that $1 billion in funding to fight poverty doesn't get taken out of the U.S. budget. You can find more info on www.ONE.org.
Thanks for these other sites - I'll check them out.
I hope you and Micheline had a great season of celebrating the Christ-Mass. We'll be up sometime in March for a visit once Connie's baby is born. See ya!
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